Face Your Fears
by IamTheRaven
Summary: After a little help, Yuki has faced his fears. He's become his true self, has faced Akito even, and now there's just one challenge left: Confessing his feelings to Tohru Honda. Very IC, Very LONG. Yukiru, duh. Enjoy my hard work! RandR, flame, whatever.


(A/N This is ALL Yukiru.

I mean it's

REALLY

REALLY

REALLY

REALLY

YukixTohru.

A LOT.

I promise.

Yukiru starts here but really begins second chapter. The OC won't be here for more than the prologue. She is just here for Yuki to understand his feelings. I tried as much as possible to be IC. Sorry the prologue is so long. Reviews are greatly appreciated.

Note: For all you not so familiar with Japanese:

Shibahime is pronounced shi-bah-hee-may)

Prologue

Sunlight streamed into the classroom windows.

The chatter of friends was light: everyone was enjoying being together. The class representatives were busy planning, the fangirls were exchanging photos of Yuki (What else would they be exchanging photos of?), Kyo was fighting with Uotani: It was another normal day in Japan.

Suddenly, the noise was interrupted by the swift opening of the classroom's sliding door. All eyes turned to the figure before them.

They had never seen her before: she was plain, and glasses graced her face. The guys turned away in disinterest. In her arms she carried a bundle of mail: and before anyone could say anything, she cried out,

"Hai Samas! Is this the classroom of Mr. Takeishi?"

A few students nodded. The girl proceeded to the teacher's desk, and handed him some mail.

Tohru Honda was excited.

"Oh, look! I've never seen her before! She must be new... I hope we can be friends."

Hanajima was silent, an even more grave expression than usual plastered on her face. This worried Tohru.

"What is it, Hana? Is something wrong?" she asked. Hana closed her eyes.

"Her signals... How unusual... She is receiving signals as well as giving them, which can only mean she too..." here Hana trailed off. Tohru was about to inquire further, but she listened to the girl's conversation from across the room.

"Here, Takeishi Sensei."

The teacher nodded in polite thanks.

"I haven't seen you here before. Thank you for delivering the mail."

The girl bowed respectfully.

"You're welcome. I am an exchange student from America. My name is Yakimo Shibahime."

The teacher raised his eyebrows. That name wasn't very American, but he didn't question further. He was very busy with today's lesson plan.

Tohru squirmed with excitement.

"Oh, she's so polite! I can't wait to meet her."

Uotani leaned back in her chair with amusement.

"Great, she dropped her mail. Now we'll really get to see if she's the fangirl type or the respectable type."

Tohru, as usual, was confused.

"What do you mean?"

Uo laughed.

"Look, in his ordinary polite fashion, the Prince is going to help her pick up the mail. Let's see what kind of person she is."

It was true: Miss Shibahime had dropped her mail. She was flustered, and desperately tried to pick it up. How embarrassing. But she had hardly leaned down to the classroom floor before a pale hand had reached down to help her.

"Oh...Thank you. Aragato, Konene Sai."

Yuki looked at her with kindness, trying not to laugh.

"Do you mean, "Komene Sai?"

She blushed.

"Yes, heh, sorry. I'm still very bad with your language...and sorry about the mail. I'm so clumsy."

Yuki smiled with his typical politeness.

"It's fine. I'm sure you are still getting used to our customs."

Uotani grinned.

"She hasn't started gasping in awe, so maybe she has a chance."

Saki Hanajima could feel the negative signals coming from behind her, where the fan club girls sat. She silently hoped this new girl understood the danger she was in.

"I don't believe I actually got your name, miss," said Yuki quietly.

The girl tried faintly to smile.

"You are very formal, I see. Well, my American name is Emily Beauregard, but Japanese people tend to have a difficult time pronouncing that."

Yuki tried.

"Bow...Bow-rigard san?"

Emily laughed.

"No, in Japan, you are free to call me Yakimo Shibahime."

Yuki eased.

"Shibahime-san."

Yakimo seemed happier. She collected the last of the mail from Yuki and stood.

"Thank you, sir. What is your name?"

Shibahime noted that he had a sort of handsomeness about him: but it was not the kind her friends appreciated. They had always liked the strong, more "buff," men, the ones with large muscles and play boyish attitudes. The Justin Timberlake sort of guy. But this one was the other type of handsome: not handsome, but pretty. She had always preferred the more beautiful men, the ones whose features were so indeed beautiful that they appeared womanly. To add on top of that, this boy seemed very polite and formal. Shibahime tried to tap into his soul a bit: she closed her eyes and concentrated, faintly brushing his hand as she took a letter from Yuki: but unfortunately, she was confronted with an emotion she had not expected:

Deep sorrow.

Very cased, controlled emotions.

Hurt. Shock. Abuse.

This took her aback: this kind of emotion was very rare.

Usually only adults had this sort of emotion.

Hanajima looked up sharply. She had sensed Shibahime's soul tapping.

"Yes... She is one of my kind. I can feel her reaching into Yuki's signals... She too is confronted by the dark clouds hanging around his heart."

Tohru and Uo didn't have time to ask before Yuki said,

"Of course. My name is Yuki Sohma. Pleased to meet you."

Immediately, the girl dropped the mail basket again but was fortunate enough to grab it before it hit the floor.

"Y-Y-You're Yuki... So-So-Sohma?"

she stuttered.

Yuki appeared confused.

"Ahh...Yes, I am. Is there something wrong, Miss Shibahime?"

The girl jumped back. She looked terrified.

"Eh..No, it's just, well..."

She frantically scanned the room, and was very upset when she found her target.

Motoko Minegawa.

She waved her hands in appeal.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Oh, I didn't know it was him, please forgive me! Oh, Lord, please... I am so sorry! It won't happen again, honestly I didn't know it was him! Don't hurt me!"

She ran towards the door, nearly slamming it shut, but right before she did, she poked her head through and exclaimed,

"Sorry, thanks for helping me out! Uh, goodbye Yuki!"

She covered her hand with her mouth.

"Whoops! I meant, Sohma kun! You hear that!" she said, looking at the fanclub girls.

"Sohma Kun! Sohma Kun!"

And with that, she shut the door and ran away as fast as her legs could carry her.

Silence dominated the classroom.

Uotani raised an eyebrow.

"Oo...kayy..." she murmured.

Hanajima shook her head.

"She is wise. She apparently did know the danger of talking to Yuki Sohma alone."

Tohru was more concerned about Yuki. He was still standing where he had been, looking at the door. He looked down, and Tohru could see a sad expression on his face. She was too naive to understand what he was thinking, but nevertheless, she was concerned. She ran up to him.

"Yuki... are you alright?"

He stared at her, with kindness, and pushed his fear aside for the moment. Dear Miss Honda, she was always concerned for his well-being.

"I'm fine. Thank you, Honda-san."

Tohru perked up with a smile.

"I can't wait to talk to Miss Shibahime! She seemed like such a nice girl."

Yuki smiled at her willingness to make a new friend. As class started, though, Yuki's old fear came back to him.

He could hear a voice, deep in the back of his head.

That voice which still haunted him.

"If they knew...

You're a freak.

They'd hate you.

People will always stay away from you, Yuki.

You are that strange.

You're a freak.

They'd hate you."

He looked down in shame.

Miss Shibahime knew it.

Strange as it seems, Yuki Sohma did not know about the Prince Yuki Fanclub.

He had been here for a long time: he did know that many of the schoolgirls were... "enamored," with him. He did know they thought him noble, like a prince.

This only made him sad: for he knew they only liked his fake front: the mask he had made for himself. If only they knew his true self: if they only knew he was a strange animal inside.

He thought he was a coward. He knew they would hate him: he knew that they would despise him if he acted like his true self. So he was forced to put up a fake front: he was too cowardly to face the people treating him like a freak when they found out who he really was, so he faked being noble: and he knew that the affection everyone showed him was truly false. They didn't know who he really was. Only Miss Honda knew. But Miss Honda was special: not everyone was like her. And even then, he still kept some of his emotion hidden from her.

Despite all these things, no one had actually had quite the heart to tell Yuki there was an organized fanclub devoted to him. Tohru had thought about it, but she couldn't find the heart to tell Yuki that people were that obsessed with him. She didn't want to sound obsessed with Yuki herself.

She cared for him so deeply.

He had found a plastic doll that looked remarkably like him once. He had found a few photographs obviously taken from above with him laughing and Miss Honda beside him. But he had never guessed that there were people so enamored with him that they made merchandise of him. That would scare anyone.

He splashed his face with cool water: and as he remotely stared into his own eyes in the mirror, he couldn't help wonder who this strange person was. He couldn't see the fair hair, the pale skin, the tall, slim frame. He could see his tie was askew again. But mainly, he saw a rat. He saw the animal hidden within him. And he could only find fault.

"You're a freak.

They'd hate you.

They do hate you!

You are worthless!

Why can't you obey me?"

He could feel the lashes upon his back.

He could see the haunted child in the mirror.

Why? Why was he remembering this all of a sudden? Ever since he had been with Honda San, he had slowly started to forget... For she saw the good in him. She cared for him anyway.

But for some reason... Miss Shibahime had made him remember. So this is what people would treat him like if they knew. Maybe she did know, somehow.

He didn't really care.

He looked at the scar on his wrist and tried to shut out the memory.

"I am the head of this family!

You have to obey me!

You think that you're better than everyone Yuki, because you're so gifted!

Well, you're not!

You must obey me!"

Suddenly, Yuki realized that Akito wasn't the only person who had said this to him...That girl... Miss Mitsuya ...

"You think that you're better than everyone else, is that it Yuki?

A simple girl like me just isn't good enough for you!

You think you're better than us!"

For the first time in his life, Yuki began to think that maybe Akito hadn't been entirely malicious. Could it be? Could it be he was so arrogant that everyone hated him? Could Akito have taken his anger out on him the way any child would when they had unlimited power?

No!

What was he thinking? Akito was evil.

Yet, it was still possible he was arrogant.

Mitsuya had never returned to school after that.

Could she seriously have been that hurt by him? Or had she really been attacked by a gang and unable to return?

Yuki didn't want to think anymore. He wanted to be with Miss Honda.

He struggled towards the bathroom door, but stopped in surprise when he heard a familiar voice from outside.

"...I am truly doomed."

Miss Shibahime.

"What were you thinking? Talking to Yuki Sohma? Good grief, you have a lot to learn," said another girl.

Yuki cringed. It was true! Maybe he had slipped up some how. Maybe he had yelled too much at the student council. Maybe they knew what he was really like!

He wasn't sure if that was good or bad. Maybe he could show himself and get true reactions from people. Even if they weren't pleasant.

"Well, honestly, I feel sorry from the guy."

Yuki looked up, confused.

"What do you mean? He's the hottest guy in school... I don't think _he's _the one who's going to feel any pain.

"Well, I don't know," said Yakimo. She couldn't tell them she had sensed his emotion. No one here was going to buy that she was an empath.

"He seems, estranged somehow. Like, nobody understands how he _really _feels."

Yuki was surprised.

"What the heck are you talking about? Americans really are strange."

Miss Shibahime didn't respond for a while.

"Shibahime...come on. I was joking. You're not strange. What were you saying?"

Yakimo somehow did not believe that statement.

"I am strange. But anyhow. Think about it: he never receives criticism from anyone. Everyone treats him like a god. He might feel... Not normal. He may just want to be a regular person, you know? Besides Miss Tohru, or so I've heard, it seems as if he doesn't have any true friends."

The girls Miss Shibahime were talking to laughed as they wandered farther away from the bathroom door, down the hall.

"You're nuts, Shibahime. He's the most popular guy in school. Everyone is his friend..."

Their voices faded away.

Yuki didn't know what to think.

The girl who had hurt him had hit the nail right on the head.

Shibahime was in heaven.

Sushi, sushi, everywhere!

It was the one thing she liked about Japan. There was a never ending supply of sushi, her favorite dish.

Tohru saw her dilemma in choosing a piece of sashimi and walked over.

"Hi, you're Shibahime right?" she asked cheerfully.

Yakimo Shibahime nodded.

"Yes, I am. Who are you?"

Tohru bowed.

"I'm Tohru Honda! Pleased to meet you. Do you not like sushi or something?"

Yakimo shook her head viciously.

"Are you kidding? I adore sushi!"

But deep inside, she could hardly believe that _this _was Tohru Honda.

She had thought she would be some vixen, the girl who had won the heart of all four Sohmas.

Tohru jumped for joy.

"Really? So do I! Do you want to sit with us? Since you are new and all."

Shibahime nodded. The freak may as well hang out with the freaks.

As Shibahime approached the table, she felt a small shock. She stopped, just short of the table, and clutched her chest. Tohru did not notice.

"What...What is this? This strange, feeling..."

Suddenly she was confronted by Hanajima.

"I see...You are one of my kind."

Shibahime raised an eyebrow.

"You are an empath? I don't know what this is, this emotion I sense coming from you..." she muttered.

Hana nodded.

"It is not an emotion. You were born with the gift to interpret electric signals. Apparently you are most sensitive to the emotional waves. Thus, you have come to believe you are an empath. I too, can interpret electrical signals."

Shibahime recoiled.

No!

No!

They couldn't find out. They couldn't know already; it was her first day!

She was a freak. A freak of nature with the power to interpret electric waves. And now they all knew.

She waited for the brutal smackdown of laughs.

Instead she heard Tohru say,

"Oh! That's wonderful! You and Hanajima will really get along then!"

Shibahime looked up in shock.

For the first time in her life, she felt welcome. She felt like she belonged.

Wow. That Tohru Honda was really something else.

She deeply cared about her two friends and the Sohmas, and even her.

Shibahime nearly cried at the tragic story of Tohru's mother and how despite that, she still managed to be so cheerful.

Tohru began to wander towards the subject of Yuki and Kyo, and their antics.

Shibahime reached for Tohru's hand. Hana saw what she was doing; some people need skin contact for deeper mind probing with electric signals.

"Tell me, Tohru, you really care for the Sohmas and your friends. You love them, don't you?"

Yakimo could sense pure joy in Tohru as she nodded.

"Yes! I love them all."

She was simple, yet still one of a kind.

"So what do you think of Yuki and Kyo? Do you love them? To a deeper degree? It sounds like you do."

For a second, confusion flickered on Tohru's face.

Hanajima hitched on Shibahime's signals; she wanted to know about this too.

Uo felt left out.

"I...Uh...I guess I never thought about it before," muttered a flustered Tohru.

But Shibahime could feel what Tohru was really thinking.

The first thing Tohru thought of was Yuki's smiling face. His dear charm. It was hard for anyone to resist.

And then she went on, thinking of how she could be selfish, or maybe Yuki would like that, or no she was too plain, but did she even like him that way? and she continued to worry in circles the way Tohru always does. Shibahime smiled and rose.

"I see."

In truth, she was more worried about Tohru's treatment if the fanclub girls found out... Hopefully she would choose Kyo over Yuki.

Shibahime hummed a cheerful tune as she approached the library.

She carefully shelved a book, and was happy to see there was no one there. Sibahime appreciated solitude. But then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement. She turned around, and there he was:

Prince Yuki.

She dropped the book and stared.

He had been looking at her.

Yuki averted his eyes back towards the bookshelf.

"Hello, Miss Shibahime."

She gulped nervously.

"Hello."

Then she smacked herself on the head. What was she doing? She was already a freak. People here would find out. She couldn't be such a jerk to Yuki. She could already sense his sad sense of anxiety. But still...after seeing that photograph...

She carefully scanned the library. It was true: there was no one else in the room.

They were alone.

"Yuki," she said softly. He looked at her curiously.

"Ahh...I meant Sohma-kun...well, do you mind if I call you Yuki? In America, we always call people by their first names. It's awkward for me to call you Sohma-kun. Besides, there are three other ones, and it's confusing."

Yuki blinked.

"Uh...Sure. That's quite all right with me."

Shibahime smiled.

"Look, I'm really sorry I ran away from you the other day. It was really rude. I'm just... a coward."

Yuki sympathized. He knew what it was like to be a coward.

"No, I realize I may have been strange towards you...I don't understand American customs...I apologize if I upset you."

Shibahime raised an eyebrow. She looked confused.

"Uh...What? Oh! No, you didn't do anything... That's not why I ran away... I'm just afraid of that stupid fanclub which pretty much all the girls in this even stupider school have joined."

Now Yuki looked confused.

"Fan club?" he asked.

Shibahime stared at him in wonder.

"You, Prince Yuki, have not heard of the Prince Yuki Fanclub?" she asked in amazement.

"There's a Prince Yuki Fanclub?"

She threw her hands up in appeal.

"I come to this school, hoping for a warm welcome, and the first thing I see is four leaders of the fanclub coming out here with some 'Stay away from Yuki Sohma or you will die, don't talk to him alone, don't go to his house, only call him Sohma Kun,' blah blah blah blah crap. Then I saw a picture of their last victim... A girl who confessed to you..." here Shibahime shuddered.

"Those fan club girls are vicious."

Yuki was shocked.

There was an entire official school club just for him? So the reason Miss Shibahime had ran...

Then it dawned on him in horror.

Miss Mitsuya.

She had been attacked.

Attacked by the Prince Yuki fanclub.

No wonder Miss Shibahime was afraid of them.

"You want proof?" she said. "Here."

She handed him a statuette.

It was a man dressed in kingly robes, a crown on his head, with pale skin and amethyst hair and eyes. On the bottom was a Y with a crown bridging the gap between the two points of the letter.

"What's this letter?" Yuki asked.

Shibahime snorted.

"I swear. The Prince hasn't even heard of his own fan club. That's the Prince Yuki Fanclub golden star logo."

Yuki blinked.

"I'm not sure whether I should be flattered or scared."

Shibahime chuckled.

"Yeah, they're scary."

She sobered and looked down.

"It must be rough for you," she said.

Yuki gave her a look that asked for further explaination.

"People treat you like a god. Those girls want you so badly, yet most of them have only talked to you once, or not at all. No one really knows who you are, what you are really like..."

Yuki was taken aback by this. Miss Shibahime was making a great effort to understand him. Yet, sadly, he realized that even if people tried to know him for real, their attitudes wouldn't change, because he never showed his true self to anyone, except for...

"...except for Tohru Honda," continued Shibahime.

Yuki was brought back to reality.

Miss Honda...

How was he feeling around her?

At first, there was nothing, but now...Now he found that he was constantly looking for ways to get closer to her, ways to spend time with her. During class, instead of worrying about Student Council relations the way he should, he was thinking of what Tohru would cook for dinner that night. He went grocery shopping, did laundry with her (if she would let him) it really didn't matter. He just wanted to be with her.

Miss Shibahime chuckled.

"That Tohru Honda... She really is something, isn't she?"

Yuki smiled.

"Yes...Yes she is."

Shibahime opened a book.

"Never have I seen someone so full of spirit, so vibrant. Even after all the tragedies in her life, she still has something positive to say. No wonder you enjoy her company. With that kind of personality, I'm surprised she doesn't have more friends..."

Suddenly the attitude on Shibahime's face changed.

"Oh...Well duh. I forgot. Of course she has no friends."

Yuki was very concerned.

" ...Miss Honda has no friends?" he asked. What was she talking about?

Shibahime snorted.

"Yuki, you really are clueless. Aside from Uotani and Hanajima, Tohru Honda is hated by nearly every girl in this school. She's the most hated of all, actually. You should hear the way they say her name in disgust. Tohru Honda, the witch."

Yuki was so, so confused. How could that be true?

"Why? How? How could anyone hate Miss Honda? She's so kind, I don't understand."

Shibahime looked him in the face. She seemed somber.

"Because of you."

Yuki stepped back,

"Me?"

Shibahime looked down.

"Isn't it obvious? Yuki, the entire female population here loves you. They can't stand it that Tohru is the only one you care about. They don't want to blame it on you, no, you're perfect, so they blame it on her."

Yuki was shattered.

No, no, this wasn't what he wanted! He was being selfish again, keeping Honda San all to himself. He hadn't realized it, that she had no friends because of him. Poor Miss Honda. He really was a fool.

"So...all this time I've been hurting her. I've been inconsiderate of her feelings."

Shibahime dropped her book.

"Are you kidding?"

Yuki looked confused again. He hated being confused.

"Yuki, it's for the same reason those girls don't deserve you that Tohru doesn't need their friendship. They don't dare to really know or care for you, or her for that matter. If they really cared about you, they wouldn't threaten your friends. Tohru adores you and that other one, Kyo...Well all her friends. Haru, Momijii, Uo, Hana, you...She loves them with all her heart. She enjoys your friendship very much. Don't try to distance yourself from her."

Yuki was amazed at her profound perception. How was it that she understood him so well, maybe better than himself? His question was soon answered.

"That Tohru...I find that her signals..."

Suddenly she looked terrified.

She became interested in the floor and her shoes.

"Signals?" Yuki asked.

"Like Hanajima's signals?"

Shibahime picked up the book she had dropped.

"Yeah," she mumbled.

Who cared? This girly faced freak didn't know anything about her. She didn't have to be ashamed.

But when she saw the concern in his eyes, the quivering of his lip, she nearly broke.

When he slowly grasped her hand, helping her up, she knew that he had truly earned his title: prince.

Prince Yuki Sohma.

She knelt in towards the bookshelf, amazed that she was giving herself away to this stranger. There was just something about him; maybe it was his signals; something that made her relate to him.

"Look, I know it seems weird, but I was born with it. I'm not like Hanajima, though...I'm an empath. I can feel people's emotions and understand them very well. Please...Don't tell anybody."

Yuki looked at her strangely.

"Why? Why does it matter? You have an incredible gift."

She grit her teeth.

"Because... geez...I can't believe this. I thought being somewhere new...I thought I could start over again. I thought I could hide my true self and not show what a freak I am. In America, people are scared of my power. Deep inside, I'm so strange. So I was cowardly. I tried to hide it here, but I guess it can't be avoided. I have no good qualities..."

Yuki tried to comfort her.

"That's not true. Your fault is really a blessing..."

Suddenly he understood.

He was exactly like her.

He hid his true self from others in order to protect himself.

Except, her flaw was beautiful.

What about his true personality was beautiful?

"What about my true personality is a blessing?" she asked him.

He didn't reply for a while. But then, he remembered something.

Was it possible he could see the good in her, but not in himself? Was there a good quality in him he couldn't see?

"Miss Shibahime, do you know what an Onigiri is?" he asked cooly.

Shibahime was surprised by the change of topic, but nodded.

"Uh, yeah... It's a rice ball with filling."

Yuki nodded.

"You know, once I heard Miss Honda tell something to Kyo...She said that we are all like Onigiri. She said that we all have special flavors and fillings, but they are pasted to our backs. We can't see our own good qualities, and when we look at ourselves, all we see is plain, white rice. But we can see others' good qualities and abilities, and we wish we had them. It's important to tell others they are special, so that they don't think they are only plain rice."

Yuki remembered Kisa as well.

"You must first like yourself to get others to like you," her teacher had said.

But Yuki knew it was the other way around. He had forgotten. Miss Honda saw good qualities in him, qualities he didn't know existed. He never knew he could laugh a certain way, or fit in among regular people, yet Miss Honda had proven it was possible.

And so all these insecurities he had felt about himself...They should have been discarded. Maybe... But he knew that he had a plum on his back. And he knew that Miss Shibahime needed to know there was one on hers too.

"It truly is a gift."

Shibahime smiled.

"You say that, yet I can feel heavy clouds of darkness surrounding your heart. There is great pain and suffering in your past. I think... I think you and I are a bit similar," she said.

"I have to agree with Hanajima. Your electric signals are very strange. There seems to be another person, locked away inside you...Another source of power, great power...It almost isn't human. Not to be rude."

Yuki gasped a little. She couldn't find out... He didn't want to have to erase anyone's memory.

"Yuki," she said softly. Suddenly a hand was on his cheek. They both nearly jumped at the touch; she felt his soft, smooth skin, and he felt a sort of energy flowing through her fingers.

"Let me help you. I can relieve you of your darkness. And you can relieve mine. I can...Truly understand you. If you so adore my power, then let me use it."

Yuki was shocked, and couldn't believe this.

She was offering him the ticket to one of his lifelong dreams.

To have a friend who truly understood, completely, and cared for him, even though they knew who really was.

He was so, so tempted, in fact, he longed to agree. He wanted her to probe his mind, but painfully, he said,

"I am sorry... But there are things I just... They just can't be touched."

She couldn't find out about the Zodiac. Despite how much he hated it, Akito had to be obeyed, and if another girl found out...

There would be no hope.

He would lose Miss Shibahime and Miss Honda. He couldn't have that.

Shibahime didn't remove her hand.

"I know. I have already tried scanning your mind, but there is one area, that source of power... Every time I try to send a signal through, it blocks me out. It's almost as if you have a spirit within you. But do not fear. If that is the area you want left alone, I cannot touch it. Yuki..."

Here she gave him a look of longing, and as much as he didn't want to, he returned it.

"...I'm not just talking about knowing your mind. I already can read it. I'm taking about becoming one with you. I have only done this once before, but our knowledge will be shared, we will understand one another to the fullest depth...I hope you understand how honorable it is to be offered this. I don't...I don't quite understand it, but...There's something about you..."

She looked down in shame. She sounded really weird, offering this to a stranger.

"Well, maybe I should prove myself first."

She clasped one of Yuki's hands, and placed it on her cheek. He didn't know why he let her, but he did. She took the other and put it on her opposite cheek. She placed both of her hands on his cheeks, so that their arms made an X. Then, light filled her eyes, and she began to mumble, in a trance.

"Ahh...Ahh...No...Please..."

Tears began to stream down her face. Yuki was unsure what to do.

"Please..." she begged.

"Ow! No! Please, Akito..."

Here, Yuki gasped.

She was reading his mind.

"Akito...Am...Am...I really that strange?

Yes...Yes!

You're a freak!

They hate you!

They hate you!"

Yuki squirmed at each word.

No.

No!

He was reliving the emotions again.

He could feel the sorrow and hate rise in him again. It was rising, rising, while his tears were falling.

"THEY

HATE

YOU!"

He almost tried to break away.

"Shut up! Leave me alone!"

Yuki realized with surprise that he and Miss Shibahime had spoken that at the same time.

She truly had become one with him, even though he was not one with her.

"Please...

Akito...

It is so, so, dark in here...

Please!

Let me out!"

She sobbed.

"It's

So

Dark...

Please...

Ahh...

...

Obey me, Yuki! I am the master of this house!

...

Don't hurt me, Akito...

No...

Please...

It's

So

Dark...

Akito...

I

Hate

Myself.

...

It's okay, but afterward, will you still be my friend?

...

But... How miss Honda? How did it not bother you to see?

...

I love strawberries!

I thought...You would...

...

Kyo...He can be accepted for what he is, and I..envy him.

Miss Honda, thank you...

...

Miss Honda,

..

Miss Honda

...

Tohru

...

Tohru

My, Sweet, Tohru

I...

I...

I love you, Tohru!

I love you, Miss Tohru Honda!"

Yuki gasped. He hadn't known he had thought that. He hadn't known he could feel this way. Yet, when she said these things, she was still weeping.

"I love...you...I do...

But

It's so...dark...inside.

Miss Honda...

What did he do? What did Akito do to you?

Ayame...

Look, I made this for you...

...

I don't have time for you. I'm busy.

...

But, I made it for you! Ayame? Please, Brother? I even hid from Akito, please take it...

...

Momma, Papa, please, I made it for you!

...

It's horribly ugly.

...

Ow! Akito, please stop!

...

Those were my beads! How dare you give them to someone else!

Yet it looks like your craftsmanship is so poor that your own family won't take this thing.

...

Akito...Please...

...

You're my brother!

You are my parents!

Why won't you help me?

Doesn't anybody care about me?

...

Ayame!

Help

Me!

...

Miss Honda...

Thank you.

...

You stupid cat! Why can't you realize what you have? Why do you want what I have? I have nothing!

...

You made me believe happiness exists, Tohru.

You made me feel, useful...

You gave me a purpose.

I was happy to rescue you.

...

Akito...

...

It's so dark in here.

It's

So dark

In..

...

My...

...

Soul."

Yuki felt her fingers lose their grip as she collapsed in exhaustion. She fell in a heap on the floor at his feet, sobbing uncontrollably. He wanted to comfort her, but her knew that in truth, he would be comforting himself.

She now truly understood him.

She knew what he was like.

And would she hate him for it?

She grasped his leg, regaining her senses.

"Yuki...You...Have suffered greatly."

She tried to get up. Yuki helped her.

"I can't remember anything specifically, but I do remember...

A voice. A dark room. A whip. A cry for help, never answered. And...Miss Honda,"

Her dark expression changed.

Suddenly, there was a smile.

A fresh breath of air.

A true, bright smile.

"Yuki?"

She asked.

"Hmm?" he mumbled in wonder.

She laughed.

"Yuki, you're in love!"

She continued to laugh. Yuki turned pink, looking at his shoes.

"You didn't even know it, did you?" she said, sobering.

He blushed sheepishly.

"I guess...I guess I didn't."

Shibahime smiled.

"That's good. I am glad I have already helped you a bit. You and Miss Honda...That would go well. Because it isn't just a crush, Yuki, I realize that. It is true love. Because Miss Honda has helped you get out of that dark room and helped you forget that voice...even if that is something you must face."

Yuki stared into her eyes.

"Something... I must face."

She grinned.

"Yuki, when you've looked a problem in the face, you've half solved the problem already. You need to return to this captor. You obviously are sworn to obey him, under all cost, but Yuki,"

she said sweetly,

"...running away won't help. You need to face him again. And show your true self to everyone."

She looked down.

"I see me in you. I need to stop hiding my identity. I need to open myself up. I thought...I don't know, I thought I could change...I thought I could start over."

There was silence.

And when a book title happened to hit him in the face, it all made sense to him.

The book read, "Itsumo."

"Miss Shibahime, I have been very foolish."

She looked at him quizzically.

"I have forgotten one of the greatest proverbs of this life."

Yakimo shrugged.

"And what might that be?"

Yuki paused a moment, then looked her right in the eyes as he stated the proverb, and suddenly she was stunned by his loveliness.

"And though the scars of Yesterday, remain;

You can go on living as much as your heart believes.

You can't be born again, although you can change;

Let's stay together.

Itsumo.

Always."

Shibahime smiled.

"You Japanese really are wise."

She took a moment to reflect on this for a while, when she felt a hand on her cheek.

It was warm, and soft.

She had tried to resist, so very very hard, but had failed.

She, too, had fallen under the spell of Prince Yuki's charm.

"Miss Shibahime," he said.

She could barely mutter a reply.

"It would be selfish of me to not understand you after what you gave done for me. Do what you must."

Her eyes quivered, but she easily gave in.

Their hands returned to their original positions.

She took a deep breath and said,

"Yuki, do you trust me?"

Yuki gave a faint smile.

"Of course."

She nodded, and leaned in. Yuki was at first alarmed, thinking that she was aiming for his lips, but he said he would trust her. He prepared to lose his first kiss.

But she stopped when the bridges of their noses and foreheads were touching.

Her breath smelled like peppermint.

"Yuki, I want you to imagine you are alone in a room of white light. There's nothing but calm. Nothing but love. You are alone, though, don't bring Miss Honda in there."

Yuki blushed again and did as he was told.

He was happy here in the light, totally at peace.

Suddenly, he wasn't alone anymore.

He saw Miss Shibahime there, appearing into the white light.

"Can you see me, Yuki?" she thought.

"Yes," he replied out loud.

"No, don't say anything out loud. Think it. We can share this moment in our minds alone."

He nodded in his mind.

"On the count of three, I want you to run into my arms, full speed, and we will become one mind, okay?"

He nodded with glee, and for the first time in his life, he embraced a woman without having to transform.

It's really impossible to try and explain what went on in their minds, because there was no dialogue. They just understood one another.

Yuki began to learn more and more about her, and her about him. They revisited each other's happiest memories; they learned about the dark times and helped each other live through them.

They showed each other the fruit on their backs.

This lasted for quite a while: maybe an hour passed.

Time had lost all meaning.

All Yuki knew was that he was so happy here, with the warmth and comfort of another, ready to face all challenges. He never wanted to leave.

Yawn. Coffee break. Intermission in very long prologue. This is STRICTLY YUKIRU! Shibahime's just helping him understand himself better.

Yeah he's gonna learn from her how to;

1. Face Akito

2. Become his true self

3. Stand up to fangirls

4...This one involves the rest of the story.

Can you guess?

CONFESS TO TOHRU!

Mwahahahaha!

I only could read up to manga volume ten before my dad cut them off.

:(

So I follow the anime too.

IT REALLY SUCKS cause on the last page of Volume ten he tells Tohru he loves her and I never knew what happened!

SOB!

Well I heard she wound up with Kyo, so whatever.

Anyway, intermission over.

Enjoy the rest of the insanely long prologue!

They were lost.

Lost in each other's thoughts.

Never before had Shibahime realized someone could have such depth in their lives: this boy had gone through so much for his young age.

Mitoko opened the door, expecting to shelve some books she had borrowed with perhaps a little company: but nothing could prepare her for this.

She opened her mouth in a silent scream:

This newcomer had not taken her warning seriously!

There...

Her beloved Prince had been seduced!

What now?

What was to become of them now?

She was paralyzed, unable to move, yet she thought they would turn and look at her: but they didn't.

She thought that this witch had tasted Yuki's lips: yet, she was poised, directly in front of him, never making that final leap. They were very close, yet they didn't move, even at the loud noises of Mitoko's entry.

Suddenly, very faintly, she could hear Shibahime's voice.

"Yu...ki..."

Mitoko gasped at the way she said his name.

How dare she! How could she? She, Mitoko Minegawa, had devoted a year and a half of her life to Prince Yuki Sohma and here he was with a stupid American who had been here for less than a week!

Evil seductress!

"Wake up... Yuki... There's someone here, I can sense it..."

Mitoko almost bolted when she heard Yuki groan in response.

"Eh...A little...longer...Please...Miss...Shibahime..."

Yakimo forced her eyes to open, slowly and painfully.

"No, Yuki... On the count of three, I'm going to split away from you... We have... to... separate..."

Mitoko couldn't take anymore. She ran.

Yuki fell to the ground, dazed, and Shibahime clutched the bookcase.

He muttered something unintelligible, but Yakimo had regained her senses more quickly.

Yuki opened his eyes.

"Miss...Miss...Shibahime...What..."

The world was spinning in circles. He couldn't think clearly, he couldn't see clearly.

Yakimo comforted him.

"Shh...Now, now, it's always hard the first time. You need to separate which thoughts were yours and which were mine. It's the danger of staying together too long: you become too accustomed to my thoughts and me to yours..."

She was still very dizzy, but she managed to help Yuki up and out of the library.

Whoever had seen her was gone: hopefully it hadn't been a fan club girl.

Shibahime walked home cheerfully.

"Hey! You, American!"

She was confronted by none other than the Prince Yuki fan club.

Oh Joy.

"You need to learn a lesson about Japanese customs!"

And so she was at the bottom of the food chain yet again, this time for a different reason.

Yuki had been silent all of yesterday, but very content. It was interesting to have been in someone else's mind. He had found it very refreshing. Now he realized many things about himself he didn't know before.

Miss Shibahime walked in, her head down. Yuki raised a hand in greeting.

"Morning, Miss Shibahime!"

She briskly walked past him.

"Hello."

She didn't stop. Yuki was confused: what was wrong with her? Had she seen something in his mind she hated? Why wasn't she stopping?

Lunch couldn't come quickly enough.

"Miss Honda, do you mind if Miss Shibahime sits with us today?" he asked Tohru absent mindedly.

"Sure! While you were at student council yesterday, she sat with us too. She really is amazing, with her powers and all, isn't she?"

Yuki paused before answering, but when he did, he was sure.

"Yes. Yes, she is."

He looked all over for her, and when he found her, he grasped her arm.

"Miss Shibahime, would you mind sitting with us today?"

She jerked away from him.

"No, I already have someone to sit with."

She wouldn't face him.

"Miss Shibahime, is something wrong?"

"No, no, just leave me alone! It's for your own good!" she yelled, and ran out of Yuki's grasp.

"Miss Shibahime!"

But she didn't respond.

He walked back dejectedly to his table.

"Where's Yakimo-chan?" asked Tohru.

"She apparently already had seating arrangements."

Tohru looked disappointed.

"Oh..."

Uotani laughed.

"Yeah, some seating arrangements. Look, she's sitting over there, all by herself."

It was true. Miss Shibahime sat alone, with no one there.

Yuki didn't understand it: why was she acting so cold? There must have been a thought she despised in his head. So it was true: he really was despicable.

He tried to focus in Student Council, but he couldn't. Then he overheard a conversation:

"Did you hear about Shibahime?"

"Who? The new girl? Yeah, didn't she get a black eye or something?"

"Yeah, she looked like a panda bear, that eye is totally black."

"Maybe Americans really are violent by nature."

"Tuh, like we're any better. Kamikaze..."

"There you go being so non patriotic again. Damn Americans. You could get arrested for saying something like that."

"Whatever."

Yuki stood up and shoved his papers in front of him. The other members looked at him with confusion.

"Um... Yuki?"

"Please excuse me... There's something I need to do. I'll be right back."

School was out, but he hoped Miss Shibahime was still there. He spotted her, towards the gate.

"Miss Shibahime!"

At the sight of him, she ran.

But Yuki was a lot more athletic than her.

He managed to catch up to her, grabbing her arm roughly.

"Yuki, let me go!"

"Shibahime, show me your face!"

"NO!"

"Your face! Your..."

Then he turned her around.

It was true: she had tried to cover it with makeup, but her eye was a black as could be.

She still remembered the fangirl's laughs.

Let her try and win the Prince with an eye like _that._

She looked down in shame. Yuki gasped in horror.

"Who did this to you? Why?" he asked in anger.

She didn't reply.

Then it dawned on him.

"The fangirls... They didn't... Did they?"

She looked down.

"Look, I didn't want you to get upset, so I didn't say anything. But... yeah. They did. Do you hate me for being rude now?" she asked with annoyance.

Yuki smiled that princely smile and put his hands on her cheeks as he drew near.

"I wouldn't think of it."

They sat again, lost in each other's thoughts, for another half an hour. The student council had broken their meeting: and the Prince Yuki fan club was wrapping up.

Minegawa seemed proud of herself.

"I hope we taught that girl something. She wouldn't dare go near our Prince again."

No sooner had she said this when suddenly, she saw Yuki and Shibahime by the gate, in that same position again.

No! Not again!

Minegawa couldn't help herself. She gave a cry of exertion.

"Yu...Yuki!"

Why? How could he be fooled by her?

He jerked back to reality, without the proper splitting procedure, and subsequently collapsed. His head began to swim again, and he realized how late it was.

"I was supposed to walk Miss Honda home...I hope that stupid cat waited for her... I must get home..."

But then Minegawa was all over her, fangirls splitting Shibahime away from him.

"Oh, Prince Yuki, what did she do to you? Are you okay?"

Everywhere, he just heard voices swimming around his head. He could barely make sense of anything.

But Shibahime had her senses.

"Minegawa! Stop! If you really cared about Yuki, would you try to take all his friends away? You're "protecting" the Prince by making sure he isn't stolen so _you _can get him! That's just called selfishness!"

Minegawa replied in retort.

"Oh yeah? Well how do you know that _you _aren't being selfish?"

It had been a long day. She couldn't stand it anymore:

and even though she had sworn she would never again do this, she did.

She touched each of them, finding their deepest fears, and brought them to the surface with electric waves.

For Minegawa, it was Yuki wrapped deeply in the arms of Tohru Honda, embracing her and kissing her.

Minegawa screamed.

She touched each of the fangirls until they all screamed and ran away.

Behind her, Yuki staggered upright.

"Thank you," he mumbled.

Shibahime looked at him with determination.

"Yuki, Hana and I can't protect you forever."

She held his shoulders.

"You want to become your true self, right?" she asked.

He nodded hesitantly in agreement.

"Well, if those fangirls won't let anyone near you, you can't become your true self. The first step is getting rid of them."

Yuki looked down uncomfortably.

"But how... How am I supposed to do that without hurting them? Won't they be angry?"

he said meekly. Shibahime seemed sympathetic.

"Yuki, one of the things about becoming normal is that people will give you negative responses as well as positive ones. You have to be hurt by people to understand them. Unless, of course, you're empathetic."

They smiled together.

News had spread like fire throughout the school.

Impossible!

The Prince Yuki Fan Club had been disbanded?

How could such a stubborn group of ladies in love have been broken?

Yuki had actually broken the group?

Impossible. Again.

Hordes of depressed, miserable girls roamed the halls.

Their own motto had been put to shame.

"We shall prevail."

More like,

"We shall hopelessly fail."

But how had Minegawa acted?

In his own Princely way, Yuki had offered her a seat at his table as a true friend, instead of always admiring from afar.

And so he learned more about her and her about him.

Perhaps the disbandment of the club wasn't so bad.

Yuki stood outside the Sohma house, Tohru and Shibahime behind him.

"Well, wish me luck."

Tohru went inside after giving her greatest support and said hello to Momiji. Yuki took a deep breath, and turned to Shibahime.

"Thank you. For giving me courage. Well, I don't know if I still even have the courage..."

In all truth, he hated being here. He was going to have to face him again:

Akito.

The source of all evil.

But running away from the problem was not going to help.

Miss Shibahime said that much.

She laughed.

"You know, there is an old American song that some people sing...I could try to make it into Japanese, but it probably won't sound good."

Yuki looked at her in confusion. A song? What? She was always coming up with random things like this.

But when she sang her meaningful words, he couldn't help but take heart.

"You have the cool, clear

Eyes of a seeker of wisdom and truth;

Yet there's that upturned chin

And that grin of impetuous youth.

Oh, I believe in you.

I believe in you.

I hear the sound of good, solid judgment

Whenever you talk;

Yet there's the bold, brave spring of the tiger

That quickens your walk.

Oh, I believe in you.

I believe in you.

And when my faith in my fellow man

All but falls apart,

I've but to feel your hand grasping mine

And I take heart; I take heart

To see the cool, clear

Eyes of a seeker of wisdom and truth;

Oh, I believe in you.

I believe in you."

There were a few glitches in the translation, but Yuki took heart.

He smiled graciously.

"Thank you, Miss Shibahime."

He walked in, with shaky breath, as he was announced.

"What is it Hatori?"

"There's someone here to see you."

"Now who could it be?"

As the sliding doors opened, Yuki had never seen such a look of surprise on this person.

"Hello, Akito."

It was interesting after that.

Yuki now melded minds with Shibahime whenever he could.

She had come over to the house now, while Miss Honda was doing the laundry.

"I'm proud of you, Yuki. You have shown your true self, dealt with the fangirls, faced your tormenter..."

she said.

He blushed.

"Yes, well, I got into three arguments yesterday. It was an... interesting experience."

Shibahime laughed.

"Yuki, you're too much."

They melded minds again.

Kyo was eating a fresh Onigiri, looking for Tohru...

And then he heard Yuki...

Singing?

It was an exercise: their minds were one, so they could each sing one line of a song one the other didn't know, and while melded, they would still know what to sing next. And truthfully:

Yuki was a pretty horrible singer.

Unfortunately, Kyo happened to walk in at that moment.

He stared at the two for a second.

Then he slammed the door shut and ran.

I could translate this into dialogue, to approximate what the two were thinking:

"Yuki, you know we could split, I think I've learned to lock onto your signals well enough. Just concentrate."

They slowly split apart, carefully, so that their minds were still one, but they were no longer touching.

"Yuki, there's still one thing you haven't done...

You haven't confessed to Tohru!"

Yuki was silent.

"Oh, come on. You need to take her out somewhere!"

"I will when the time is right."

"Take her dancing! Girls love that."

"Miss Shibahime-"

"Come on, like this!"

She stood on top of the table and began to dance.

"Miss Shibahime! Don't do that! What if-"

Shigure opened the door and the connection was instantly broken.

Yuki groaned and fell backwards as he continued his thought.

"What if Shigure came in..."

Shigure was beside himself in joy.

That night was interesting.

Yuki drove Shibahime to the airport.

"I can't believe it's time for you to leave already. It seems like you just got here."

Shibahime smiled a sad smile.

"Yeah, I was only here for a month."

He parked the car in silence. The whole process was silent, really: check in, ticketing, everything. When she finally reached the Security point, she turned to Yuki and smiled.

"Thanks Yuki. I'm going to miss you... I never had a friend like you."

Yuki smiled.

"Likewise, Miss Shibahime."

She held his hands firmly.

"You know, the flight doesn't leave for an hour... Do you want to get coffee or something?"

They sat down in the waiting area, together, but an awkward silence hung in the air.

Yuki didn't know what to say.

He really was going to miss her.

She touched his cheek as she drew near.

"Miss Shibahime, do we have time?" he asked.

She ignored him.

"Yuki... Well, I'm going to say it. I will. Better to say something dumb now than regret never saying anything for the rest of my life."

She took a deep breath.

"Yuki..."

The slim, tall frame.

The amethyst eyes.

The great spirit inside him.

It was all she had ever wanted.

"Yuki, I know you love Miss Honda.

I know my feelings will never be returned.

And I know that many girls have told you this before.

But believe me when I tell you:

After being inside your mind, your heart, your soul, there's no way I couldn't.

Yuki:

...

I love you."

Never before when melding had they jumped the extra distance. But now, for her sake, Yuki did.

"Prince."

Never had Shibahime been happier.

A man across the isle tapped his friend.

"Have you ever seen a longer kiss? They haven't moved for twenty minutes!"

Yuki couldn't help but smile as he saw her plane fly away.

"Thank you.

Emily Beauregard-chan."

(YAY! My 36 page long, 10,000 word prologue is over!

ON TO THE YUKIRU! I put Shibahime on a plane and sent her crying to her mama!

MUHAHAHAHHA!

Honestly, I don't know why I created her.

And please people, 36 pages. That took me forever.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!

Thanks all.)


End file.
